Electrostatic precipitator devices are used with machine tools for removing and collecting liquid coolant and particles generated during operation of the machine tool. The electrostatic precipitator may be mounted on the machine tool and coolant and particles are entrained in a stream of air drawn through the electrostatic cell plates where the drops of coolant and particles accumulate and drain downwardly. The electrostatic precipitator device may also be mounted on the floor, ceiling, wall, etc. and ducted to the machine tool.
In conventional electrostatic precipitators the electric contacts to the cell plates or fins and cell ionizer are mounted on dielectric elements to insulate the conductive portion of the contact to ground. However, these contacts are susceptible to tracking by conductive fluid (coolant) to ground. This produces shorting and damage to the cell and loss of performance.
The power and ground fins of the cell are arranged vertically in alternating fashion and the air entrained ionized fluid and particles collect on the ground fins and flow downwardly by action of gravity. As the drops accumulate on the lower edge portions of the ground fins, the coolant drops may grow or agglomerate sufficiently to extend across and engage the adjacent power fins before dropping from the ground plate. This also produces shorting and damage to the cell and loss of performance.
The present invention is directed to improvement of the electrostatic precipitator unit for eliminating these problems.